


Persona 4 (V) ~ Rose Gold

by magneta100



Category: Persona 4, Persona Series
Genre: Female Protagonist, Multi, Persona 4 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-13 19:49:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29531544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magneta100/pseuds/magneta100
Summary: This is a retelling of the game, Persona 4 on the PS2 with a female protagonist. Her name is Yui Narukami, and she is moving to Inaba to live with her uncle and cousin because of her parents being in America for their jobs. The story and characters belong to Atlus, I did not create Persona 4. All rights belong to Atlus.Enjoy the fun and wacky misadventures of the Investigation Team through a new lensStart: July 17th 2019End: ???
Relationships: Investigation Team & Narukami Yu
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Monday 11th April 2011 (04/11)**

  
  


#  Chapter 1 ~ Beginning The Journey

**MC POV**

I wake up to be in a blue limo. In front of me is an old man with a long nose and next to him is a lady with a blue dress. “Welcome to the velvet room!” The old man smirks creepily as I start to quiver back, “Ah… It seems we have a guest with an intriguing destiny…” He chuckles at the end which keeps me on edge. “My name is Igor, I am delighted to make your acquaintance…” He gives a creepy weird smile as I tense up. “This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter… It is a room that only those who are bound to a ‘contract’ may enter… It may be that such a fate awaits you in the near future.” He finishes, leaning forward towards me. I’m so glad that there is a table and a bit of space between us. “Now then… Why don’t you introduce yourself?” He extends his arm for a brief moment, reverting back to its usual place, under his chin along with his other hand. I place my hands on my chest as my arms felt my long, silver hair on my shoulders. With my piercing grey eyes, I look Igor dead in the eyes and tell him, “My name is… Yui Narukami…” with a shaky tone. “Hm… I see. Now, let’s take a look at your future, shall we?” He speaks again as he puts his hand over the center of the table. A light appears as a deck of cards appears. “Do you believe in fortune-telling?” He asks as he swishes his arm above the table as it sets up the cards in a tarot reading fashion. I guess the question was rhetorical. “Each reading is done with the same cards, yet the result is always different. *chuckles* Life itself follows the same principles, doesn’t it?” He speaks as he flips his hand as the card on his left side, closest to me, flips up. “Hm… The Tower in the upright position represents the immediate future. It seems like a terrible catastrophe is imminent. The card indicating the future beyond that is…” He does the same thing but the card on his right side, closest to me, flips up. “The Moon, in the upright position. This card represents “hesitation” and “mystery”... Very interesting indeed. It seems you will encounter a misfortune at your destination, and a great mystery will be imposed upon you. In the coming days, you will enter into a contract of some sort, after which you will return here.” He explains less creepy as usual as I lower my guard a bit. “The coming year is a turning point in your destiny… If the mystery goes unsolved, your future may be forever lost. My duty is to provide assistance to our guests to ensure that does not happen.” He finishes as he sways his arm across the table as the cards disappear. “Ah! I neglected to introduce my assistant to you. This is Margaret. She is a resident of this place, like myself.” He points to the lady on his left politely. “My name is Margaret, I am here to accompany you through your journey.” She says in the most monotone voice I have ever heard. “We shall attend to the details another time. Until then, farewell…” Igor says with a grin as the Velvet Room started to fade into white.

I wake to be on a train. That’s right, I’m supposed to be on my way to Yasoinaba to live with my uncle since my parents are overseas in America. There was a newspaper in front of me with an intriguing article on the front page. It was about the scandal between Taro Namatame, a council secretary from the Inaba region and an enka star, Misuzu Hiraga. It started with Namatame having an affair with a news reporter, Mayumi Yamano and a whole shitstorm happened. I’d say it was a waste of time announcing it to the public. Just then, my phone started buzzing. I checked it as it was a text from my uncle. 

_‘Meet us at Yasoinaba station at 4 pm’_

I checked the time on my phone as it showed, _‘3:55pm’_. I looked outside and saw an urban place. I guess this would look urban considering that it is but it kinda looks abandoned. “Yasoinaba. Yasoinaba” The train announcement rang throughout the train as I stood up and gathered my stuff. I left the train and stood there at the entrance of the station. I checked the time on my cell. _‘3:59pm’_ it says. I waited for a bit as a white car approaches a nearby car park. Out came a man I’ve seen before and a little girl I haven’t seen before. “Hey! Over here!” The man signaled me as I walked up to him. "Yui right? Wow, you really do look like your mother. Welcome to Inaba. I’m Ryotaro Dojima. I’ll be looking after you. Let’s see… I’m your mother’s younger brother… and that about sums it up.” He extends his arm for me to shake it. “It’s been a long time!” I smiled at him as I accept his offer to shake his hand. “I’ll say. You’ve really grown, I still remember when you were diapers…” He says as my arm retreated naturally. He pats the little girl’s back as she steps forward. “This is my daughter. Come on, Nanako, introduce yourself to your cousin.” I look at the girl, who is clenching onto his left leg. I knelt down and smiled at her as she has a flustered look on her face. “...” She just kept quiet. Eventually, “...lo…” came from her lips as she went back behind Dojima. “*chuckle* Why you so shy for?” he chuckles as Nanako’s expression changes drastically. Her face was red as she looked mad. She smacked his ass as I giggled at the scene. “Ow!” he laughs as I couldn't help but snicker. “Well then let’s get going.” he walks to the boot of the car as I follow. Dojima opens it as I place my bags in the boot. Afterward, I walk to the passenger seat and sat down. Not too long after, the car starts and my left eye catches the fuel level as it was barely empty. “Hope you don’t mind but we’re going to head to the gas station,” Dojima says as the car moves. “No, it’s fine!” I say giving a wryly smile. At the same time, Nanako’s small hand taps Dojima’s shoulder. “Potty?” She asks bashfully. “You OK to go yourself? I need to have a quick smoke. Or do you want Yui to go with you?” He asks as she shakes her head. “I’m OK by myself!” She smiles as we take a turn into the gas station. Dojima leaves the car at the same time as Nanako. I watch her go inside the gas station until she makes it into the bathroom. “Hi! Welcome to Moel!” I hear from my left. I turn left and see a gas station attendant talking to Dojima.

I feel cramped in this car. I step out of the car to get some fresh air and I start to take in my surroundings. It is so barren out there. Maybe I’ll finally find inner peace. “Are you taking a trip?” I hear that attendant’s voice as it snaps me out of my thoughts. “No, we just went to pick her up. She just moved here from the big city.” Dojima answers his question. I guess it’s not too weird to have a conversation with a gas attendant. “The city huh?” The GA (gas attendant) follows up on that remark. “Fill up my car while you’re at it. Regular is fine.” Dojima finishes off. Before he spoke, he took a glance at me for a quick second. Guess he thinks that I’m getting a little uncomfortable about them talk about me with me being in the conversation. Which is true, I don’t like people talking about me when I’m not in the convo. “Right away sir!” my god this GA is a bitch boy. Dojima starts to walk away. Guessing that he’s going to smoke. “Are you in high school?” the GA asks me as he fills the car. I nod cautiously as I place my hands in my pockets. With my right hand, I pull out a cereal bar and begin to eat it. “Does it surprise a city girl to see how little there is out here? There’s so little to do, I’m sure you’ll get bored fast.” continuing the convo, the GA smiles at me. It wasn’t creepy or anything. He only looks a little older than me too. “You’ll be either hanging out with your friends or doing part-time jobs. Speaking of which, we’re actually looking for part-time help right now!” The GA extends his arm for me to shake it. “Give it some thought, why don’t you? We don’t mind if you’re a student” I reach over to shake his hand. There is a camera nearby and a few people as well so I thought it was OK. 

“Oh, I should get back to work!” he retracts his arm as he returns to filling up the tank. I look at the front of the car as I see Nanako staring at me. At that moment, start to feel a little queasy. “Are you OK? Did you get carsick? You just don’t look too good.” Nanako questions as I shake it off. “I’m fine Nanako!” I attempt to look fine even though my queasiness started to add. It must be because of the long trip. I start walking to the front passenger seat and wait for Dojima. After I sat down, Nanako came in and sat down in the backseat. As I waited for Dojima, I checked my phone for the texts from my friends. None. Just then, my phone begins to ring. _‘Machi’_ was the name on it. I pick up the phone and leave the car. I know that this will be a shitstorm and I don’t want Nanako to hear it. As I placed the phone on my ear I hear a girl screaming. “YUI! WHY AREN’T YOU HERE!? YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING TO BE HERE TO HELP WITH MY DATE!” Fucking Machi, man. She told me she had a date and that I WILL help her with it. But I told her that I was leaving that day. “Machi, I’m in Inaba. HOW THE FUCK CAN I HELP YOU WITH YOUR DATE!?!” I yell back as I can tell she gets more pissed. “What. The. Fuck. YOU DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT!” “Machi, stop being a dick. The world doesn’t revolve around a BIG BITCH!” I end the conversation by ending the call. She continues to ring me but I block her number. I don’t want to deal with this while I’m sick. I sit back into the car and see Dojima in the driver's seat. “What was that about Yui?” he looks concerned. I just stare out into space as he starts the car. Guess he figured that I don’t want to indulge. It was only five minutes until we made it into the Dojima residence. Much like I expected, matches the town’s theme but also charming in a way. I think… I may like it here. After taking my bags out of the boot, I step inside and see Dojima and Nanako setting the coffee table. 

I checked the time and it was 6 pm. Guess the ride here was longer than I thought. At least there isn’t traffic here. After a few seconds, the coffee table was set with lots of food on top of it. “C’mon and eat Yui, it’s dinner time!” I place my bags on the couch and sat on the floor with the coffee table in front of me. “I-Itadakimasu!” with a small blush and a smile, I say while taking a portion of stew and pouring it into a small wooden bowl. Drinking the stew, the warmth enveloped my body and my queasy feeling decreased a little. During this, Dojima pours everyone a glass of creme soda. “All right, let’s have a toast!” he says as I lift up the glass in front of me. This is way different at home. I usually ordered takeout and eat alone because of work stuff. “So… your mom and dad are busy as always… they’re working overseas, was it? I know it’s only for a year, but to get stuck in a place like this because of your parents… it’s rough being a kid.” Dojima is really trying to make a conversation from me. Guess I don’t blame him. But you know what else has been rough, being an only child… “Well, it’s just me and Nanako here, so it’ll be nice having someone like you around. So as long as you're here, you’re part of the family, so make yourself at home.” he finishes as I start to feel welcomed. With a genuine smile, I say, “Thank you for your kindness!” “C’ mon, there's no need to be so formal. Look, you’re making Nanako all tense.” As soon as he said that, Nanako started fidgeting around with her wooden bowl in hand. “Well anyway,” before Dojima can say anything, his phone rang. “Ugh… who's calling at this hour?” obviously annoyed, Dojima answered his phone. “Dojima speaking…… yeah? I see… so where is it?...... All right, I’m on the way.” he hangs up the phone and places his phone in his pocket. “Looks like I made the right choice to skip the booze… sorry, but I gotta go take care of some business. Go ahead and continue eating without me you two. I don't know how late I'll be. Nanako, you help her out, OK?” he asks as she nods. “...OK” He leaves the house as I hear the hard rain falling on the ground. I guess the roof is sturdy enough to block most of the noise.

“Nanako, it's raining out. What did you do with the laundry!?” He yells from outside as Nanako stands up from her spot, “I already brought it in!” she yells back as Dojima said farewell. Nanako sits back down and switches on the T.V. It was broadcasting the weather for the week. They say that there was going to rain tomorrow as well. “...Let's eat.” Nanako squeaks out as she eats. After a few moments, the seed of awkwardness just starts to get planted. Hmm, what’s a good conversation starter towards your six-year-old cousin. “Say um, what does your dad do?” I asked with a slightly shaky voice as Nanako looks at me. “He… investigate stuff. Like crime scenes. My dad’s a detective.” She explains. Hmm, good job. I actually want to be a detective when I grow up, maybe Dojima can give me some pointers. “And now for the local news.” The news reporter on the T.V explains as I look towards the T.V while filling two bowls of rice and curry for Nanako and me. 

_“City council secretary Taro Namatame is under fire for an alleged relationship with a female reporter. His wife, enka ballad sensation Mizuzu Hiragi, revealed to this station that she will most likely pursue damages.”_

It’s a repeat report from earlier today. The affair was localized early this morning and almost all of Japan knows it. I handed Nanako a bowl and placed mine in front of me.

_“Until allegations of an affair with Mr. Namatame are resolved, she’ll remain off the air, and out of the public eye.”_

“...This is boring.” Nanako moans and changes the channel. The channel was playing an ad for a store. _“At Junes, every day is Customer Appreciation Day. See for yourself, and get in touch with our products! Every day’s great at your Junes!_ ” It sings the last part in a catchy tune. “ _Every day’s great at your Junes!_ ” Nanako sings the catchphrase in a cute way. She’s so adorable that makes me smile. “...Aren’t you hungry?” She asks as I begin to stuff my face with the food.

_~1 Hour Later~_

We spent that time just watching T.V and eating. Afterward, Nanako leads me to the room where I was staying. Looking around, I see a desk, dresser, shelf, coffee table, couch, bin and a smaller T.V set from downstairs. I place my clothes in the dresser and my other items, organized on the shelf. Drowsiness filled my body as I looked in the dresser for a yukata, obi, and tanzen. Yes, my parents are rich and they give me this fancy stuff you find in an inn. As I do, I spot the uniform I have to wear for the year. A white blouse, a black blazer with white seams and a yellow neckerchief and a black and grey skirt. They say for socks I can wear anything as long as it is either white or black. Shoes can be polishable black or polishable brown for outdoor shoes and any uwabaki as long as it is mainly white. I have my white thigh high 2x2 rib knit socks and shoes I have black polishable shoes for outdoor as well as plain white uwabaki. Apparently, all appropriate hairstyles are allowed as long as it isn’t shaved or dyed. I’m probably going to put my hair into a low side ponytail like usual. With that, I’m all sorted for tomorrow. I take my phone and put it on charge. I then place my alarm on for 6 am and put on my yukata, obi, and tanzen. Slipping onto the made futon, I cover myself with the duvet and drifted asleep.

I wake up to be in a clearing. It then got covered by a thick fog. I followed the path below me as best as I could. “Do you seek the truth...?” What the fuck was that. A voice? Who the fuck was that? “If it’s truth you desire, come and find me…” It came from up ahead. I continued forward until I something. I felt an intense power from beyond. I built up my courage and place my hand on it. It faded into the fog as I proceeded forward. “So… you are the one pursuing me…” that voice again. “Who in the world are you?” I asked as I see a figure in front of me. At my feet appeared nunchucks. I was taking three types of martial arts growing up and one was Arnis (a style of martial art from the Philippines) and I was taught to use nunchucks. I took it in my right hand, my right leg out, my body lowered and placed the other end of the nunchuck under my arm, getting ready for the stab attack I perfected. “Hmhmhm… try all you like…” I went and attacked as it didn’t flinch. “Hmmm… it seems that you can see a little, despite the fog…” that voice again. I went and attacked once again. “I see… indeed, you possess an interesting quality… but… you will not catch me so easily… If what you seek is ‘truth’, then your search will be harder…” The fog grew more. I try to attack but I never hit anything. “Everyone sees what they want to… and the fog only deepens… will we meet again…? At a place other than here… hmhm… I look forward to it…” I begin to lose consciousness…


	2. Chapter 2 ~ Let's Start The Game

Tuesday 12th April 2011

I wake up to me falling off the bed. Oww. I checked the time and see the time being 4:50 am. I stood and took a towel from the dresser and walked towards the bathroom. Very quietly, I checked Dojima’s room to see if he was awake but he wasn’t there. I looked downstairs and saw nothing but a normal setting. I knocked on the bathroom door and no response came. I opened the door and saw a normal bathroom. I locked the door and begin to have a quick shower. After I finished, I wrapped the towel around my figure and quickly to my room. I checked the time and only 30 minutes passed. _‘5:20am’_ I dry myself off and put on my uniform. My hair dried quickly as I put it into my casual hairstyle. Taking my bag and phone, my alarm starts blaring. Just as I turned it off, I hear something from the house. “Breakfast is ready!” It was Nanako. I walked down and see only Nanako with two plates of sunny side up eggs and toast. “Good morning!” She smiles sheepishly as she places the plates on the table. Each plate had two of each. “Do you do the cooking?” I ask her as she looks at me. “I can toast bread, and make sunny side up eggs in the morning,” Nanako answers as we eat. “Just so you know, I’ll help you out with stuff like cooking anyway!” I tell her after I finish breakfast as she smiles. “You’re starting school today, right? My school’s on the way, so… let’s go together.” She seems somewhat restless. We each take an umbrella, because of the raindrops we could see through the window, walked to the door, leave the house, lock the door and walked to school. After 30 minutes of silent walking, we approach a flood plain. High school students are walking past us. “You keep going straight from here. My school’s on the way, bye!” Nanako walks back as I follow the path with students going past me. 

‘“WOAH! WATCH OUT!” I hear from behind me. It was a boy on a bicycle out of control. He goes past me and hits a street light. He started groaning in pain while holding his junk. I leave him be and walked on. It was only a matter of time before I reached Yasogami High. I wasn’t expecting much from a town as rural as this but it seems to be in good condition. What kind of school life awaits me here? I walk into the school and found a sign saying, _‘Faculty Office’._ Some students start staring at me as I rush into the faculty office. A teacher looks at me and approaches me. This teacher has fucked up teeth and a fucked-up hairline. “You! Who are you?” He asks as I answer his question with my name. He flips through papers and eventually stops on a sheet of paper. “Yui Narukami… class 2-2, that’s my class,” he says as I internally facepalm. This bitch is my teacher, really?! “Follow me.” he leads me to the second floor as the bell rings. He then takes to class 2-2 as I see kids talking in class. “Write your name on the board.” the teacher tells me as we walked in, I take a piece of chalk and write my name on the blackboard. “Awright, shut your traps!” he yells out as the kids sat straight into their seats. “I’m Kinshiro Morooka, your homeroom teacher from today forward! First things first! Just 'cause it's spring doesn't mean you can swoon over each other like love-struck baboons. Long as I'm around, you students are going to be pure as the driven snow! Now I hate wasting my time, but I'd better introduce this transfer student. You boys better not try and hit on her. She is the perfect young lady without me even putting my stamp on.” He begins to touch my hair as I tense up. “Also look at how she is dressed, her proportions are hidden as much as possible.” Mr. Morooka’s hand floats over my chest. This initiates my hand to move and bitch slap him. The sound startled most of the class as his cheek was red. I knew the slap was hard but I didn’t know it was that hard. “Hrnh… That's it, you're on my shit list, effective immediately.” he glares at me. Serves him right, you don’t just go on about girl’s proportions and almost touch her chest. Especially if you are a teacher and the girl is a student. “Excuse me! Is it okay if she sits here?” A female student raises her hand as Mr. Morooka snickers. I rush to the seat and place my bag on the desk hook. “He's the worst, huh? Rotten luck for you to get stuck in this class… Well, we'll just have to hang in there for a year.” she tells me. Guess these guys are used to him, poor kids. The class is bustling now and I can hear students talking about me. This gets me annoyed but I keep it in because this teacher might give me detention and my mom will bitch both me and Dojima out. “Shut your traps! I’m taking roll and I damn well expect you to respond in an orderly manner!”

_~After School~_

The bell rings as I pack up myself as the announcement rings through the class.

_‘Attention, all teachers. Please report immediately to the Faculty Office for a brief staff meeting.’_

This is unexpected news. Why is it happening on the first day of school?

_‘_ _All students must return to their classrooms and are not to leave school until further notice.’_

WHAT!? I’m not staying here more than I need too! Morooka leaves and I start packing my bag. Around me I hear students complaining about us staying here as sirens from outside cut them off. Well, Dojima isn’t going to be home. Just as I finished, I hear students talking about an announcer named Mayumi Yamano. Apparently the paparazzi is after her since the news about the affair. Heh, this is what happens when you let this stuff loose on the media. Wait, why can’t I see damn thing through the window? Huh?! It’s foggy! What the hell man!? School, let me out so I can get home before this place turns into a Silent Hill game. Even though I want to experience what it’s like, not today!

_‘There has been an incident inside the school district. Police officers have been dispatched around the School Zone. Please stay calm and contact your parents or guardians as soon as possible, and quickly leave the school grounds. Do not disturb the police officers. Head directly home. I repeat…’_

Okay… now I wish I didn’t think that. An incident that even affects the way the school works and that they have to tell us to go straight home always means bad news. “Hey, are you going home by yourself?” a voice speaks as I turn in its direction. It was the girl who sits next to me as well as another girl. I think she sits in front of her. “Why don’t you come with us Narukami? Oh wait, you don’t know our names, huh? My name is Chie Satonaka, and this is my friend Yukiko Amagi!” She was energetic. “N-Nice to meet you two!” This isn’t a situation I was expecting to be in on the first day. I hope I didn’t sound cringy. “I’m sorry if this is so sudden it’s just that Chie thought it would be nice if you walked with us since you’re new!” Amagi looked down as she spoke as Satonaka shakes her playfully. “Oh c’mon Yukiko! Don’t make me sound weird!” I giggle at the twos display of friendship. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen friends act like this. “Anyway, let’s go Narukami!” Satonaka takes my hand and helps me out of my seat and the three of us walked towards the door. “CHIE!” A boy jumps in front of us, giving me and Amagi a fright. “What do you want Yosuke?” her tone sent shivers down this guy’s back as he gulped. “This was really awesome. Like, the way they moved was just amazing to see…” Where is this going? “And… I'm really sorry! It was an accident! Please just have mercy until my next paycheck!” This guy just pushes whatever he had in his hands into Satonaka’s. “Seeya thanks!” and with that he bolted away towards the stairs. “Stop right there! What did you do to my DVD!?” She chased after him and as she caught up, she was able to hit him, um… where it hurts the most… In fear, she opens the case then gives a more horrified look. “What the!? I can’t believe this! It’s completely cracked… my ‘Trial Of The Dragon’...!” Small tears form in her eye but she shakes them away. What the hell dude? How do you crack a DVD at your age? Unless you purposely did it, I just can’t back you up. And ‘Trial Of The Dragon’ is a dope movie too. “I think mine’s cracked too… c-critical hit to the nads…” I couldn’t help but snicker at that. He may seem like an idiot but at least he can make phrases like that. “A-Are you all right?” Amagi reaches for him in a caring way. Keep in mind, Satonaka is bad cop and Amagi is good cop. Got it. “Oh, Yukiko~San… are you worried about me…?” Okay now this guy sounds weird. “He’s fine, Yukiko. Let’s ditch him and go home. You too Narukami!” Her and Amagi leave as I look at the guy. Poor boy, I hope he grabs a pair a balls sooner or later. “Narukami!” Satonaka calls out to me and I rush out of the class.

The girls and I walked out of the campus as a guy walks up to Amagi and holds her hands. “You’re Yuki, right? Y-You want to go out somewhere?” he asks her, obviously insane. Amagi just looks creeped out from his advance. “What…? Wh-Who are you?” male students come in and overlook the situation, saying that this guy is stupid to go after Amagi. “Um, s-so… are you coming or not?” His tone was almost aggressive. “Hey! Let go of her! She doesn’t know you so why try?” I smack his hands away as he scowls at me, “I didn’t ask you. Yuki?” His gaze turns to Amagi as Satonaka had her arm out in a protective manner. “I-I’m not going…” Amagi’s eyes fall to her feet while he just storms off. What the hell was that? “Amagi, are you okay?” I ask her as she nods and smiles shyly. “Do you guys know what he wanted from me?” did she really ask that? Does she not know about stuff like this? Satonaka explains what he was trying and thanked me for helping her out. “Yo, Yukiko~San. Turned down another lovelorn fool, huh? Man, you’re cruel… you got me the same way last year.” It was that guy from earlier. Oh, he’s the one from this morning. “I don’t recall doing that…” Amagi can really be forgetful and dense at times really. The guy asks her out but she, not so subtly, refuses him. Savage. “That’ll teach me how to get my hopes up… anyways, you guys go easy on her. I can tell she’s not used to the countryside, okay?” and with that, he winks in my direction, jumps on his bike, and leaves. “C-C’mon you two! Let’s get out of here! People are staring…” and with that, the three of us start walking towards Samegawa, the place where Nanako and I separated to go to school.

As we walked, we talked about small things until the reason why I’m here came into the conversation. “Ah… so you came here because of your parents’ job. Haha, I thought it was something way more serious.” Satonaka stares out towards the barren wheat fields and sighs. “There really is nothing here, huh? That is what makes it nice, but there's nothing much we can show to people from outside.” she stretches her arms out and relaxing them behind her head. “It’s okay Satonaka! I’m not into the bustling city and most of the time. Hell, I go to the nearby shrine everyday after school to make braided cords and praise the Gods.” I chimed in as both her and Yukiko look at me shocked. “I’m surprised. I thought that you were a city girl who would like stuff like shopping and make-up. I think we would get along over the year.” Amagi give me a warm smile and I return it. Maybe I will be okay here. “Anything like arts and crafts here?” I ask as Satonaka gets lost in thought. “Oh! There is something from Mt. Yasogami… I think it’s dyed clothes or pottery or something artsy.” Hmm, maybe I should go looking into it. “Any places of interest?” Great, I sound like a tourist. “Oh, how could I forget this? There's the Amagi Inn! Yukiko's family runs it. It's the pride of Inaba!” Amagi’s family owns an inn? I want to go… “Huh? It’s… just an old inn.” Amagi looks down while she walks, as if she’s ashamed. Satonaka punches her arm lightly and chuckles, “Oh, no way, it’s been in all sorts of magazines as a hidden treasure. It’s a great inn! It’s been going for generations, Yukiko here is going to take over someday. The inn attracts a lot of visitors to Inaba. It pretty much keeps this town going.” Hmm, maybe I should pay a visit there. Once I get Dojima’s permission. “...I don’t think that’s entirely true…” she looks away, towards the barren wheat fields. “Hey! What’s that?” Satonaka points in front of us as there was a crowd of housewives talking. There were a few cop cars here too. 

_“So that high schooler left school early, and as she came down this street…”_

_“Wow. Who could imagine THAT hanging from an antenna?”_

_“I wanted to see it too…”_

_“Uh, you got here too late… the police and fire department just came and took it down just a moment ago.”_

What did they take down? A nazi flag?

_“Well, I think it's terrifying. I can't believe a dead body showed up around here…”_

What the hell!?! A dead body!? I thought a nazi flag was bad, but this is ultimately worse… “Wait… what did she just say? A dead body?” Satonaka backs up while she silently shrieked in horror. “Huh? Yui?” A male voice calls my name to the right. I turn that way and see Dojima walking up to us. “What’re you doing here?” His stern voice sends shivers down my spine. With a gulp, “We’re just passing by. We’re sorry to intrude on a police investigation!” I bowed apologetically while he sighs. Dojima curses the principal for not telling us to stand clear of the area while Amagi and Satonaka look at the two of us weirdly. “Psst, Narukami. Who is this guy?” I feel a nudge on my arm by Satonaka as she whispered to me. “He’s Ryotaro Dojima, my uncle and the one taking care of me for the year.” I whispered back as she nods and returns to her normal posture. “These your friends Yui? If so, please make her feel welcome here. I don’t have enough time on my hand and I feel bad for it. Other than that, you three ought to stop wandering around and head straight home.” Three of us nod as a younger cop runs past us and starts puking off the side of the road. “Adachi! How long are you going to act like a rookie? You want to be sent back to the central office!?” Mental note, Dojima yelling is a little scary. “I-I’m sorry… nngh…” The young cop tries to regain his composure as Dojima just sighs at him. Once that guy finishes, those two leave us and back to investigating. “Um, guys? I think I want to go home now…” my voice was shaken and I guess the two knew why I was shaken up. “Okay… see you tomorrow Narukami~Chan. Safe travels home!” Amagi pats my back as Satonaka ruffles my hair a bit. “Hey, don’t be frightened Narukami! We got your back. Bye!” And with that, those two go the other direction. Dojima is probably gonna yell at me again, I’m gonna go home too.

_~Time skip~_

I make it home just in time. The fog was growing more dense by the minute. “Welcome home!” I hear from the living room. It was Nanako watching T.V. “Hi Nanako, I thought I might tell you this so you won’t be surprised about it.” I sat down next to her as she looks at me curiously. “ won’t be home today. He wanted me to tell you so that he can help with the investigation process.” As soon as I finished that, she sighed and looked at the T.V as it displayed the news about the body. Guess she knew. The announcer mentions the police department will be taking over as Nanako tenses up, tears started to well up. “It will be alright Nanako! He’ll be back tomorrow, remember?” I reassure her by placing my hand on her shoulder and giving her a smile. She smiles back, nods, and faces the T.V again. “At Junes, everyday is Customer Appreciation Day! Come see for yourself, and get in touch with our products! Every day’s great at your Junes!” The Junes tune played as Nanako started singing happily. An idea just popped into my head. With a smirk and my best singing voice, “Every day’s great at your Junes!” this shocked Nanako and I just giggled. “You memorized it already? I'm the best one in my class!” her pride allowed her to sing even more and forget the whole incident that the news was playing. Good for her, a kid that age shouldn’t be worrying about this stuff. That’s different for me. I’m scared shitless. But I can’t show it in front of her, she will get worried and that’s the last thing I need. When she’s older, Dojima and I can tell her so she can understand.

What a crazy first day, huh?


	3. Chapter 3 ~ The Midnight Channel

4/13

My alarm blares near my ear. _‘6:00 am’._ Another day in Inaba, will it be interesting? I bet not. Though, those dreams were weird… mom and dad warned me about reading too much graphic novels, were they right? Whether or not, I’m not giving them up. Undressing out of my yukata, I put on my uniform. Stepping in the dining room, there was a note on the table. 

_‘I made you breakfast and lunch before I left. They’re in the fridge labelled. I had to get to school early because of the distance. There is a spare key daddy had made for you in the flower pot on the table. Have a good day Yui!~_

_~Nanako’_

She’s so sweet… I open the fridge and see two containers. One had, _‘Breakfast’_ , on it and the other had, _‘Lunch’_ , written on it. Taking both, I remember that there is a spare key in the flower pot on the table. I look at it, see the key, take it, and walked out of the house. I locked it and made my way to school.

_~Time Skip~_

I was able to catch up with some walking students so I just stayed in that area. If something were to happen, there would be witnesses. Agh! I’m getting paranoid. I need to chill out before I lash out at someone by accident. “AAAAAHHHH!!!” Speaking about accidents. The boy from yesterday sped past me and crashed into a bunch of trash. “S-Someone…” his pleas were muffled from his head being in the trash can. Wow, you really need to ride your bike properly. With a sigh, I held the trash can in place and began to pull on it. There weren’t much trash as they were all secured in trash bags. “Whew, you saved me. Thanks! Umm… oh yeah, that’s right! You’re that cute transfer student, Yui Narukami, right?” Him recognising me as ‘cute’ took me by surprise as I started to heat up. “I’m Yosuke Hanamura. Nice to meet ya.” Hanamura winks at me, while getting up his bike. “Are you okay, Hanamura? That looked like a bad fall…” I asked as he nods, “Oh yeah, yeah I’m fine. I’ve had worse accidents than that anyway.” We began walking in the direction while talking about the incident. The two of us agree that something like this is very worrisome and messed up. “Oh crap, we’re gonna be late! Here, jump on the seat. I’ll sit up front and pedal.” Hanamura holds his bike down and I look at him weird. “Will that work? Meh, I’ll listen to you then. I can’t ride a bike so I trust you not to kill me, Hanamura.” I jump on the bike seat as he sits in front of me and begin pedalling. I clench onto his jacket so I don’t fall off as the two of us continue all the way to school. The time we got there, the second bell rang as we rushed up the stairs and to our classroom. 

Class is class, boring. Apparently the teacher has the nickname, ‘King Moron’, from his full name being close to it. Hm, I’m gonna call him that from now on. “So, you getting used to this place?” Hanamura stands next to my desk as I begin to pack up. “Not yet. I haven’t seen much of this place other than my neighborhood, the school zone, and the train station…” my mind started to wander of all the places I got to see fully. “Huh, want me to help you Narukami? Let’s start now! I want to take you to get some grilled steak, you in?” My face had this look of, ‘Really?’, plastered on. I guess he knew what I was talking about because his face went pink. “T-T-T-T-That’s not what I m-m-m-meant! What I meant was, just us hanging out! N-Not a date! I-I-It doesn’t mean I wouldn’t date you, i-i-i-it’s j-j-j-just-” his reaction was golden. “Heh, I’m just teasing Hanamura. Grilled steak sounds great, count me in!” Just then, “Hey! This is how you can pay me back for breakin’ my stuff, you big idiot. Yukiko, want to join us?” I look over at the black haired girl as she shakes her head towards her brunette friend. “I’ll pass… I don’t want to gain anymore weight. I need to help out at the inn today, anyway.” And with that, Amagi leaves. “Chie! I only asked Narukami~Chan here, at least ask properly. But, I do owe you. C’mon you two…” Hanamura sighs inwardly as Satonaka and I gather our items and follow Hanamura out. “So, Satonaka, how long have the three of you been friends?” I began a conversation with Satonaka as she started contemplating. “Well, Yosuke I knew him ever since he got here six months ago. With Yukiko, you can say we’ve known each other for a lifetime!” Her bright smile made me smile. The whole time we walked, I just kept talking to Satonaka. Hanamura would chime in a few times but it was mainly just Satonaka and I talking.

It took us a while but we ended up at a place called Junes. Wait, wasn’t this an ad on TV? The one where Nanako sings the theme song? “What! This place doesn’t serve grilled steak! And why take us to YOUR place?” Satonaka’s complaints stayed as we went into the elevator. “Well, I WAS planning on taking Narukami~Chan to Aiya but since you jumped on the freeloader train I had to change my plans. Sorry Narukami~Chan if you were expecting steak, man…” Another savage? “It’s fine, Hanamura! I actually wanted to get to know you two more anyway. You both plus Amagi are the only ones who are making an effort for me to get to know you guys and making me feel welcomed here! I should be thanking you three…”. “Wow, you’re so nice and formal, Narukami. Why’s that though? You also have that mature aura about you too…” The tomboy continues to contemplate as we get off the elevator and to what I think is a food court. It actually looks better than I imagined from this town. “Oh, that… my parents were strict about my behavior with others. No matter the age, I have to refer them by last name until we became close. Another thing is that I have to be modest and keep my manners daily. That’s what I was taught since I was able to talk…” I cringe at my past. These guys will think I’m a snob. “You know Narukami~Chan, your parents are in another country. Try letting loose instead of being formal. But it’s solely your choice.” That gave me a shock. I seriously thought he would call me a snob the moment his mouth opened. “Y-You sure? I don’t want to be rude!” Satonaka and I sat on cheap-looking foldable chairs and placed our bags under the table as Hanamura went to a nearby stand. He was close enough to hear and to be heard. “Yeah, we don’t mind Narukami~Chan! But, just do it at your own pace. We want to be casual with you but we want to make sure your comfortable first.” She leans back into her chair as Hanamura places three cases on the table. They were each filled with fifteen pieces of takoyaki with milk chocolate coating the top and white chocolate drizzled on. “She’s right. Yukiko~San, Chie, and myself have the same thing in mind; have you be our friend so that you won’t feel lonely here.”

What their saying, are they being genuine? I heard stuff like this from Machi and others but, could they be telling the truth? A small smile formed on my face as it morphed to a big, bright, gleeful smile. “Thank you! Itadakimasu!” I take a toothpick and begin digging into my case of takoyaki. Hanamura and Satonaka briefly smiled before starting to eat. As we ate, we chatted. It didn’t seem long but the time when we finished, it was already 4:30. The topic changed from how life was like in the city to about the shopping district Inaba has. “It’s only been half a year since this place opened up, but I haven’t been to the local shopping district much since.” Satonaka ate the last of her takoyaki as she spoke. “A lot of stores there started closing, and… oh, uh…” her voice was muffled by the takoyaki but we were able to make sense of what she said. “... you can’t blame it on Junes, can you?” Hanamura’s sigh bummed the three of us out. “Oh, Hana~Chan! Hi!” A girl with long light brown hair and eyes called out and waved. Hanamura shot out of his seat and rushed to her. “Who’s that? Hanamura’s girlfriend?” I whispered o Satonaka as she laughs and explains their relationship. Apparently her name is Saki Konishi and Hanamura has a huge crush on her and she’s our senpai. Her family runs the liquor store in the shopping district but she works part-time at Junes for some extra cash. I don’t blame her wanting more cash. “Hey! That’s the transfer student, right Hana~Chan?” Konishi points at me and walks towards me. “Hi! My name is Saki Konishi. I’m one of Hana~Chan’s friends. If you ever want to hang out with someone, just ask me!” Her smile was bright but it also seemed forced in a way. 

I shook it off and gave her a formal introduction, the way I usually greet people older than me. “Heh, Nice to meet you, Yui~San! Say, keep an eye on Hana~Chan for me, please? He’s a good guy but he can get nosy and annoying at times. Tell me and I’ll set him straight, okay?” Hanamura begins to get all flushed and I just giggle. “I will Konishi~Senpai! But I’ll also remember that he’s a good guy at heart, you should too!” Konishi~Senpai agreed with me and left due to her shift starting up. Hanamura flopped on his chair while talking about Saki. She has a brother and she treats Hanamura like a brother as well. Satonaka teases him as he gets flustered by the minute. “The daughter of a local family-run liquor store and the scion of the invading chain… the flame of forbidden love!” “Aw! You live the life of a soap opera. I want to live the life of a soap opera!” I whined and we all laughed. In the midst of laughing, a light bulb came in Satonaka’s head since stopped laughing. She told us about a mysterious show called the ‘Midnight Channel’. To watch it, it has to be midnight on a rainy night, the TV needs to be switched off, and a person will appear on the screen. That person on the screen is apparently your soulmate. Hanamura began laughing his ass off because of how dumb it was while I was kinda interested. “I’ll try it out. It’s raining tonight, right? Let’s all try it out and report about it tomorrow!” “Really? Fine, I got nothing better to do.” Hanamura sighs as tiny droplets of water fall on our faces.

“It’s beginning to rain. Let’s go home for the day before we get sick. Remember to watch it you two, mainly you Yosuke. Bye!” and the girl in green leaves the elevator. I do the same and parted ways with Satonaka once we leave the building. The rain picked up quick so once I got home, I was drenched. “Hey, are you okay? You’re soaked…” Nanako rushes to me with a worried look on her face. I pat her head and reassure her that I will be fine with a long soak in the bath. Her bright smile makes me happy. She skips back to the TV and continued watching the news. I begin to undress myself and placing my uniform and my other things in the washing machine. The bath slowly became full so I gently submerged myself in the soapy water. The warm feeling’s soothing. _Second day and I already made friends who really seems to want me to be friends with them. It will take a while, but I will get comfortable with them and allow my true colors to fly._ Time passed and I get out of the bath. I start washing my hair and wrap it in a towel turban I left here. Wrapping a bigger towel around my figure, I leave the bathroom. I heard the TV was still on so Nanako must still be awake. The door opened too which leads me to believe that Dojima is home. I scurry to my room and begin drying myself off. I dress myself in a white t-shirt, a lilac crop hoodie and a pair of black leggings then walked downstairs. “Welcome back, uncle!” I smile at him as he gives me a sleepy one in return. The Police Department must be working them ragged. The news went from the Yamano murder to them interviewing the person who found the body.

_“What went through your mind when you saw it? Could you tell she was dead? Did you see her face?”_

_“U-Umm…”_

The person they were interviewing had a blurred face and distorted voice, but you can tell it was a girl. Probably for personal reasons. But I can’t help but think that she seemed familiar.

_“Don’t you think it’s scary that someone was killed on a foggy day?”_

_“Huh...? She was killed?”_

Okay, now they’re getting into her face too much.

_“Oh, err… so did you see anyone suspicious around here?”_

_“No, not really…”_

_“We heard that you found it when you left school early. Did you have some personal business to take care of?”_

_“Huh? That’s…”_

Wait, now I remember. It’s Konishi~Senpai! I knew that the person seemed familiar. Not that it matters if she found the body or not. The news continued to talk about the case and how it will ruin the shopping district. Dojima spoke up about it, saying that they should stop running down the shopping district and maybe they will have more customers. Lastly, they mentioned that the Inaba Police Department are useless since they can’t determine if it was a homicide or suicide and Dojima kept his mouth shut. I think he was going to swear up a storm but realized that Nanako and I are here. The Junes ad played and, like usual, Nanako sings the song happily which puts a smile on my face. “Hey daddy? Can the three of us go to Junes sometime?” the little girl’s question went unnoticed by the middle aged man. “No…?” it was then when we realized that he was just asleep. “Geez… I’ll wake him up when I go to bed. Don’t worry, Yui~San…” and with that, Nanako continues to watch TV. My mind wanders for a bit and when I come back, I’m already in my room, reading one of the graphic novels I brought from home. I don’t know what the title is but I’m just gonna continue reading. Hours past, and I’m already half way done. I turned my phone on as it displays the time, _‘11:58pm’_. The Midnight Channel is about to be on. I bookmarked my page and closed the book, awaiting for the Midnight Channel to appear. I kinda hope that it’s real, but I also hope that this isn’t some freaky occult stuff. Minutes past, and an image appeared, making me jump. It was someone with long light brown hair. What the? It’s real!?

_I am thou, Thou art I…_

_Thou art the one who opens the door…_

Huh? That… sounds like me…? UGH! This migraine hurts like hell. A lighting sound pierces through the migraine as the lights went out. The image on the TV disappears. What was that…? Unconsciously, I tap my fingers on the screen of the TV. There was a ripple. That drew my curiosity. I pushed my arm on the screen as it went through. I was freaking out mentally until I felt like I was being pulled, since I screamed. But my scream was muffled due to the fact that my head went inside the TV too. With all my might, I pulled back. The grip on my arm vanished as I fell back and hit my head on the small table in my room. “Rgh…” I groaned as a knock came on my door. “Are you okay, Yui~San?” It was just Nanako, not uncle. “I’m fine. Just fell out of bed. Did I wake you?” she muffled in a yes manner and wished me a good night. I try to go back to sleep but I couldn’t. Eventually, yes, but it was just uncomfortable. I was tossing and turning all night.

_What, just happened…?_


End file.
